Shoe slimming insole

ABSTRACT

An insole for use in a shoe or other footwear which enables a better fit for feet that are narrower in girth than the upper of a shoe and/or narrower than the width of the sole. The insoles are also useful in footwear that have uppers that have stretched over time and/or feet that change in size due to swelling or weight gain and weight loss. The insole has at least one pair of flaps that are substantially vertical or perpendicular with respect to the insole pad when inserted into the footwear, and are positioned between a wearer&#39;s foot and the sidewalls of the upper, thus adjusting the inner girth of the footwear and decreasing the space within the upper. The insoles can be manufactured with varying thicknesses of the insole pad and/or flaps, or alternatively, a kit with removable, interchangeable and replaceable flaps and insoles of varying thicknesses can be made that enable the user to choose the insole and/or flaps which provide the best fit in varying types and styles of footwear. The flaps can be integral with the insole, securably attached, or instead removably attachable to the insoles by attachment members.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to an insole for footwear that isadjustable and can be used for footwear and feet of various widths inorder to get a better, firmer, and more comfortable footwear fit.

BACKGROUND

Modem footwear manufacturing techniques enable footwear suppliers tomake large quantities of mass produced footwear that may be based on“the average” foot girth and/or width, but these vast quantities offootwear often do not fit nearly as well as they should.

In fact, foot girth dimensions measured for example at the transversecircumference around the foot, and at the ball waist and instep of thefoot, can vary over a range of up to about two inches for each lengthsize. However many types of footwear are sold in only one width perlength, which allows the marketing of a wider variety of styles withminimum inventory. Often end users prefer style and price to fit andcomfort, and fit and comfort is sacrificed in favor of style and price.

Further even if the footwear initially fits well, the upper of thefootwear may stretch after wear. Also, feet may vary in girth up toabout two standard widths daily, and even greater changes can be causedby a variety of physiological conditions which give rise to fluid and/ortissue buildup in the foot. Also, changes in a wearer's body weight or awearer's medical conditions may cause the feet to change in size andalso cause challenges in fitting.

Therefore in order to get a firmer fit and/or a more comfortable fit infootwear, the insoles of this invention may be inserted and/orincorporated into a variety of types of footwear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a top view of an assembled insole for the left foot that hasnot been placed within footwear;

FIG. 2 is a top view of an assembled insole for the right foot that hasnot been placed within footwear;

FIG. 3 is a bottom view of an assembled left insole that has not beenplaced within footwear;

FIG. 3A is an end view of a flap of an insole of this invention;

FIG. 3B is a cross section of the layers of an embodiment of an insoleand/or flap;

FIG. 3C is a cross section of an embodiment of an insole and/or flap;

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of an insole body of thisinvention for the left foot, which has not been assembled into aninsole;

FIG. 4A is a bottom view of a frontward flap of this invention that isnot attached to the insole body of FIG. 4;

FIG. 4B is a bottom view of a heel-ward flap of this invention that isnot attached to the insole body of FIG. 4;

FIG. 5 is a perspective top view of a left foot insole;

FIG. 5A is a side view of a flap of this invention having a supportmember on the surface of the flap;

FIG. 5B is a side view of a flap of this invention having a supportmember within the flap;

FIG. 6 is a top view of the insole of FIG. 2 with the flaps in an upwardposition;

FIG. 7 is a top view of the insole of FIG. 1 with the flaps in an upwardposition;

FIG. 8 is a top view of footwear with a right foot insole of thisinvention placed within the cavity of the footwear upper;

FIG. 8A is a side view of the insole of this invention as it appearswhen it is placed within the cavity of the upper of the footwear; and

FIG. 9 is a side view of a right foot in footwear with an insole of thisinvention inserted into the cavity of the footwear upper.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

For purposes of the description of this invention, the terms“uppermost,” “right,” “left,” “vertical,” “horizontal,” “top,” “bottom,”“beyond,” and other related terms shall be defined in relation toembodiments of the present invention as it is shown and illustrated inthe accompanying figures. However, it is to be understood that theinvention may assume various alternative structures and processes andstill be within the scope and meaning of this disclosure. Further, it isto be understood that any specific dimensions, shapes, and/or physicalcharacteristics related to the embodiments disclosed herein are capableof modification and alteration while still remaining within the scope ofthe present invention and are, therefore, not intended to be limiting.

The following drawings show insoles and/or insole parts that are in somecases for right feet and right side/right foot footwear, and in othercases for left feet and left side/left foot footwear. Typically when theterm “insole” is used herein, it refers to the assembled insole thatcomprises an insole body and flaps. It should be understood that theright foot insole and right foot footwear are substantially mirrorimages of the left foot insole and left foot footwear. It should also beunderstood that the word “footwear” is intended to be synonymous withall articles of footwear, including but not limited to boots, sandals,open-toe shoes and closed-toe shoes for casual and formal dress as wellas footwear for sports and work. Footwear also includes diving boots,swimming flippers, water and snow ski boots, and skates.

Furthermore, it should also be understood that the insoles can bemanufactured with different thicknesses of materials for the insole body7 and/or flaps 15 to give further fit choices.

The present invention is directed to an insole that provides adjustmentin the fit of the girth of the cavity in the upper of footwear. Theinsole of this invention can also be used when a wearer's foot isnarrower than the width of the sole. When used as a noun, “an upper” or“the upper” of the footwear is defined as the part of the shoe, boot orfootwear above the sole or base portion of the footwear, and typicallyis comprised of sidewalls. As shown in FIGS. 1-8, 8A, and 9, the insolehas a top surface 4 and a bottom surface 6, and at least one pair 17 offlaps 15 that extend beyond the side edges 48 or perimeter of the body 7of the insole. As used herein, “extending” or “extend” when used todescribe the orientation of the flaps means that the flaps can extendabove the insole body, from the side of the insole body, from below theinsole body, and that the flaps can also be positioned upward, outward,downward, sideways with respect to the insole body, and can also extendfrom the front or rear of the insole body.

The adjustable insole assembly causes a width and/or girth adjustment byflaps 15 that rest against the sidewalls 32 of the upper 30 and the feetduring use. See e.g. FIG. 9. The flaps can be of various lengths and canextend part-way up the foot. Alternatively, if desired, the flaps canextend up to the top 46 of the foot, and even around the foot. While theinsoles can have flaps that are unpaired, i.e., located on only one sideof the insole and foot, flaps that are paired 17, i.e., located on bothsides of the foot, are preferred since paired flaps cause a greaterdecrease in girth and paired flaps cradle the wearer's foot 45 causing amore even fit. See e.g., FIG. 9. Usually the paired flaps 17, see e.g.FIG. 1, are located opposite to one another, but do not have to beopposite to one another. Single flaps that are unpaired may force thefoot into the sidewalls 32 of the upper and/or the top inner surface 31of the upper 30 of the footwear, causing discomfort as well as undesiredrubbing or friction. Girth in this application can be defined as thetransverse circumference of the shoe at a particular portion of the shoeor other footwear, near or at about its mid-portion, which is theportion between the toe and heel regions, and including the ball, waist,and instep portions. Better fit of the footwear 26 can also beaccomplished by placing an insole of this invention within the cavity 35of the footwear by causing change in the dimensional relationshipbetween the fitting height 28 and the width 34 inside the cavity of thefootwear. See e.g. FIGS. 8A, 9. The footwear cavity is contained withinthe upper 30 and the floor 38 of the upper, see e.g. FIGS. 8, 8A and 9,and the upper can be at least partially open, such as in sandals. Thefitting height 28 is the vertical distance between the floor of the shoein the cavity and the uppermost inside portion of the upper, and thewidth 34. By filling a portion of the sides of the upper 30, as well asa portion below the wearer's foot 45 and above the original base orfloor of the footwear, the fitting height is also reduced, in additionto girth.

When the insole is placed within footwear, the flaps decrease the spacebetween a wearer's foot and the sidewalls of the upper. By using theinsoles of this invention, an adjustment to the footwear can beaccomplished over the range of commercially available girths andprovides a fit of a narrower girth. The adjustment to the girth may beminimal such as narrowing an A size shoe girth to AA, AAA, or AAAA, andalso encompasses the narrowing of any of the wider sizes and girths ofall footwear from B sizes, C sizes, D sizes, and even wider girths suchas E size girths, including EEEE to girths that are narrower. Forexample a shoe of a standard width, such as a women's size of B widthmay be adjusted to fit like a narrower shoe of 1A to 2A to 4A widths,with similar adjustments in men's sizes from EE to C. Shoes or footwearof other widths may be also be narrowed, as desired by using theinsoles. Of course the same narrowing characteristics can be seen infootwear for children or youths.

The flaps 15 and/or body of the insole 7 can be made in varyingthicknesses, sizes, and shapes so that the desired adjustment in fit canbe accomplished. The insoles can be assembled during manufacture, oralternatively, a kit with removable, interchangeable and replaceableflaps and insoles of varying thicknesses can be made that enable theuser to choose the insole and/or flaps which provide the best fit invarying types and styles of footwear. A kit comprises one or more insolebodies/pads with one or more flaps, such as the pad and flaps shown inFIGS. 4, 4A, and 4B, and more preferably a plurality of insole pads andflaps which allows the user to choose the desired thickness and/or sizeand/or shape of the flaps and/or insole body. Also the flaps and/orinsole bodies can be made in a variety of widths, shapes, and sizes togive more fit options. Also, if desired portions of the pad and/or flapscan cut or cut off to get a more customized fit. The insoles can be soldin an assembled or unassembled state, and the flap and insole body canbe removable, replaceable or interchangeable. The flaps can be integralwith the insole body, securably attached, or instead removablyattachable to the insole body by attachment members as well as otherways known to one skilled in the art. The flaps that are removablyattachable, attach to the insole bodies by way of the attachment membersdescribed herein, as well as any other attachment members known to oneskilled in the art. Additionally if desired, the flaps and/or insolebody can be directly attached to the footwear rather than to each other.

Additionally, sellers can choose to stock the insole bodies and flaps indifferent sizes, shapes, and thicknesses that can be assembled andcustom fit for the wearer and the wearer's footwear by the sellers.

Typically, no change, or little change usually occurs in the inside 42and outside circumferences 40 of the footwear during such fitadjustments using the insole of this invention. See e.g. FIGS. 8, 8A,and 9.

The upper 30 includes the upper of all types of footwear, and the insoleinvention is suitable for use in all types of footwear, especiallyclosed toe and closed heel footwear, such as a daily wear shoes, dressshoes, athletic shoes, work boots, hiking boots, and the like. Theinsole can be used to get a firmer fit in footwear for a wearer's footor feet which are narrower in width than the manufactured footwear or infootwear with uppers that have stretched from wear. Also, the insole canbe used to get a better fit in footwear for feet that change in size dueto feet swelling or the wearer's weight changes.

During use, the insole is placed within footwear 26 with the flapsadjacent to the sidewalls of the upper and the body of the insole restsupon the floor 38 of the footwear 26. When a wearer's foot is insertedinto the footwear, the flaps will be positioned between a wearer's footand the sidewalls of the upper. As shown in FIG. 8, the insole 2provides an adjustment in fit of the girth 36 of the cavity 35 in theupper 30 of the footwear. The insole assembly can be placed in thefootwear unattached in the footwear or instead, permanently fastened tothe footwear by suitable means such as adhesive and/or stitching orother ways known to one skilled in the art, during or after manufacture.Alternatively the insole can be removably attached to the inside of theupper and/or the floor of the footwear by hook and loop type fasteners,studs, or other such fasteners or other ways known to one skilled in theart. As a further alternative, the insole may simply be placed withinthe footwear and unattached to the footwear so it can be taken out, ifdesired, and used in additional footwear that also require an adjustmentin fit.

The body or pad 7 of the insole 2 can extend at least the length and thewidth of the footwear or less or greater than the length and width ofthe footwear. Also if desired, the insole can be made so that it isthinner and/or tapered in the toe area of the footwear, and thicker inthe heel and/or arch areas. The arch of the insole can also be raised,if desired, for support of the arch of the foot. The insole body ispreferably made of a material that is at least semi flexible, but ifadditional support is desired, the insole may be at least semi-rigid orrigid. The insole can be fabricated by pouring foamed materials into aframe that is heated and processed into sheets that are then cut tosize. However, the cost of cutting and shaping foam is high and resultsin significant material wastage. To avoid wasting materials, the insoleand/or insole body and/or insole flap can be molded for each size andstyle of footwear.

Preferably the insole and/or flaps have cushioning capabilities, and mayhave one or more layers of padding 56. If the insole and/or flaps aremade of layers, the layers can be held together by an adhesive and/or bystitching, as well as by heat bonding. Foam or rubber type padding ispreferred, but other types of padding known by one skilled in the artcan also be used. The insole bodies and/or flaps can be made of one ormore layers of components. FIG. 3A is an end view of a flap of an insoleof this invention which has a bottom layer 54, a middle padding layer 13and a top layer 50 of covering material 51. FIG. 3A also shows anoptional tapering 19 that extends to the peripheral edge 14 of the flap.FIG. 3B is a cross-section of the padding 13 layers of an embodiment ofan insole and/or flap that are joined 11 by heat and/or glue bonding, aswell as stitching 10. FIG. 3B also has top layer 50 of covering and hasa bottom layer 54. FIG. 3C is a cross section of an insole embodiment,having an insole body and/or flap made of a unitary piece, which doesnot have layers.

The insole flaps can be a single piece which extend from each side ofthe insole body as shown in FIGS. 3, 4A, 4B, or instead can be separatepieces, which extend from each side. The flaps can be attached to thetop or bottom of the insole body, as well as from the side edges.

If foam or rubber is used, a top layer of cloth type material 51 isoptimally used to keep a wearer's foot from slipping or sticking to thepadding, but is not necessary. Further, even if stockings, socks, orhose are worn, a cloth layer is still preferred and to keep the footfrom perspiring onto the rubber or foam layer, which can be lesscomfortable. If the insole has a top layer, it is preferably made ofcloth comprised essentially of cotton, cotton blends, polyester, felt,nylon, or a combination thereof or other types of materials used by oneskilled in the art for such purposes, and the top layer 50 issuperimposed over the pad layer. See FIG. 3B. The optional top layer 50can also be made from other materials, including leather, polyester,stretchable spandex fabric, or wool, or other woven or spun fabrics. Thechosen materials can then be bonded to the insole 2 by adhesives or glueand/or stitching or other ways of joining materials to another that areknown to one skilled in the art.

As is apparent, one can make, use and sell insole bodies and flaps of avariety of different sizes, shape, widths, and heights to affordadjustments in fit.

The insole body 7 and/or flaps 15 of the insole can be comprised of oneor more layers of materials that are superimposed and/or connected byone or more ways, such as adhesive, glue, with or without heat, andthermo-welding or bonding, as well as hook and loop fasteners such asVelcro™ as well as other ways known to one skilled in the art forattaching a layer of material to another. Stitching 10 can also be usedto hold the layers together alone, or with other ways of holding thelayers together, known to one skilled in the art. See e.g. FIGS. 1 and3B.

The padding or cushioning 13, which comprises the body of the insoleand/or flaps can be made from a variety of materials, especially foamedmaterials which have elastic or rebounding properties, such as thoseconsisting essentially of silicon, polyester, neoprene, natural rubberfoams, synthetic rubber foams, polyurethane, polyether and polyesterfoams, neoprene, Vinyl Nitrile, Styrene-Butadiene Rubber (SBR),Polyethylene (PE), ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA), ethylene propyleneterpolymer (EPT), EPT/PE/Butyl Rubber, Neoprene/EPT/SBR, epichlorohydrin(ECH), and nitrile (NBR) or a combination thereof, or other cushioningmaterials known or used by one skilled in the art. If there is anadditional bottom layer of the insole and/or flaps, it can be comprisedof natural materials, such as leather, cotton, felt, linen, plastic,metal, any of the foregoing foam or rubber materials, and other suchsynthetic or natural materials known to one skilled in the art. If theinsole body and/or flaps are made of layers of materials, the layers canbe removably attached by a hook and loop fasteners such as Velcro™, orother types of suitable fasteners. The fasteners can be attached to thelayers by glue, adhesive and/or stitching, and any other way known byone skilled in the art.

The padding 13 may be of a variety of heights/thickness and may varydepending upon the wearer's needs and/or uses as well as the type ofpadding utilized. The padding can be compressible or non-compressible.In an embodiment, the padding is between about 1/16 inch to about ½ inchin thickness, but in other embodiments can be ½ inch to 1 inch or more,but can also be of lesser or greater thickness as well.

Preferably the cushioning or padding 13, such as foam, has a low tomedium density so it is deformable, as well as other suitable densitiesknown to one skilled in the art. A low-density padding comprisesmaterial within the range of about 0.08 g/cm³ to about 0.50 g/cm³. Amore preferred range of densities for padding is material with densitiestypically between about 0.1 g/cm³ to 0.30 g/cm³.

The padding 13 can be constructed of a closed-cell foam material or openclosed-cell foam material, or a combination thereof.

Closed-cell foam material, in general, may demonstrate a greaterresistance to wear as compared to open-cell foams. Open cell foam is amaterial where the open-air chambers in the foam are interconnected.This makes for extremely soft and highly compressible foam. Whileopen-cell foam may be very comfortable, it has some disadvantagesbecause of the high compressibility of the foam, especially if it is ofa density that is too low or of a material that absorbs water. Incontrast, the air chambers in the closed-cell foam are completelysurrounded by walls and are not interconnected.

As a further alternative, since open-cell foam is typically morecomfortable, i.e., more compressible and since closed-cell foam providesfirmer support, a dual or multi-density padding may also be used,alternating layers of closed-cell foam and open-cell foam, with theclosed cell foam giving stability and the open cell foam giving acushioning effect.

In a variation of the insole, the thickness of the flaps can be tapered19 and have a thinner outer peripheral edge 14. FIG. 3A shows an endview of a flap that has tapered edges 19, a cloth top layer 50, and alayer of padding 13 with a bottom layer 54. FIG. 5A shows a side view ofa flap with padding tapered edges 19, a support member 16, a top layer50 and a furrow 20.

The flaps can be integral with the insole body or can instead besecurably attached to the underside of the insole 6, see e.g. FIG. 3, orthe top of sides of the insole body. A pair of flaps can be constructedof one piece (see e.g. FIGS. 4 a, 4B) for ease of manufacturing, butalso each flap can a separate piece. Obviously if a pair of flaps isconstructed from a single piece, when they are positioned and attachedto the insole pad they will be adjacent to each other and across fromone another as in FIG. 1. If the pair of flaps is instead made from twoseparate pieces they can be positioned separately at differentlocations. Still, it is preferred that each flap be positioned at thesides of the insole body so one flap is at least substantially adjacentto and across from another flap. A pair of flaps may be able to providea satisfactory fit if they are offset within ½ inch to 1 inch or even 2inches or more from another flap on the opposite side of the insolebody. The flap can be secured to the insole permanently usingconventional techniques such as gluing, and can also be secured byadhesive, with or without heat such as in heat bonding, and can also bestitched together. Alternatively, the flaps can be removably attachableto the pad 7 of the insole. For example, the flaps can be removablyattached to the bottom or top and/or side edges of the insole byattachment members such as by a stud and aperture connection, Velcro™,i.e., mated hooks and loops counterpart fasteners as shown in FIGS. 4,4A, and 4B. As an alternative, other means of attachment such asfasteners, magnets, a wedge and aperture connection, snaps, hook andeye, or a combination thereof, as well as other fastening members usedby one skilled in the art for such purposes can also be used to attachthe flaps to the insole body. The attachment members can also bepositioned so as to allow further fit adjustment of the footwear bymoving the flaps anteriorly toward the toe area or posteriorly towardthe heel area at various positions 74 along the longitudinal axis 72 ofthe insole body. See e.g., FIG. 1. The attachment members can be locatedupon the entire surface of the portions of the insole body and/or flapsthat are removably attachable, or only a part of the surface of theinsole body and/or flaps.

FIG. 4 is a bottom view of an embodiment of an insole of this inventionfor left-footed footwear, in an unassembled state, FIG. 4A is a bottomview of a frontward flap of this invention that is detached from thebottom side of the insole of FIG. 4, and FIG. 4B is a bottom view of aheel-ward flap of this invention that is detached from the bottom sideof the insole of FIG. 4. In an embodiment, the flap has a furrow and anotched area 25. See FIG. 4B. FIGS. 4, 4A, and 4B show an insole withattachment members 22 on a portion of the insole body, and attachmentmembers 22 on the flaps 15. The flaps may also be of different widthsand lengths, see e.g. FIGS. 4A, and 4B.

FIGS. 1-3 and 5 show an insole that has not been placed in footwear.FIGS. 6 and 7 show the insole of FIG. 2 and FIG. 1, respectively withthe flaps 15 in the upward position and in a perpendicular or nearlyperpendicular position with respect to the pad 7 of the insole. Ifdesired, support members 16 such as stays can be placed within the flapor upon the flap. The support members can assist in maintaining theupward position of the flaps. Typically, unless there are supportmembers 16 such as stays are within the flap or upon the flap, the flapsusually will lie substantially horizontally before they are placed infootwear. The flaps extend beyond the perimeter or side edges of theinsole body and when inserted into footwear may be of an angle to thehorizontal of about 75 degrees or less, to about 105 to 120 degrees ormore with respect to the body of the insole, depending upon the style ofthe footwear. When the insole is inserted into the footwear cavity, theflaps become upwardly positioned 62 and rest against the sidewalls 32 ofthe upper of the footwear. See FIGS. 8, 8A, and 9. Thus if desired,flexible or rigid to semi-rigid materials such as plastic, metal, andmetal alloys can be used as a support members 16 on the undersides ofthe flaps, see FIG. 5A, or embedded within the flaps, see FIG. 5B, sothat the flaps stay again the sidewalls 32 of the footwear 26 once theinsoles are inserted into the footwear. The support members can be inthe form of sheets or pieces of material, or strands of material, suchas wire.

The flaps can also be of various lengths. The flaps in FIGS. 8, 8A and 9are shown as extending only part way up the sidewalls of the upper and awearer's foot. However, if desired, the flaps can be made in longerlengths. In fact, flaps can be made that completely encircle the foot,and may be made of a unitary piece or a plurality of pieces. It islikely that a wearer will prefer that the flaps are not visible toothers, thus the length and width of the flaps can be chosen based uponthe style and type of footwear.

As an aid to position the flaps in an upward or vertical orsubstantially vertical position, furrows 20 can be optionally placed ina portion of the flap 15 adjacent to the side edges 48 of the insole.See e.g. FIG. 1. Also, when the furrows are located near the side edgeof the insole in curved or straight area of the insole, a notch can bemade in each end 21 of the flap to facilitate upward positioning of theflap. See e.g. FIG. 1. The furrows 20 are areas of decreased thicknessof the padding in the flaps. See FIGS. 1, 4A, 4B, 5 and 5A. As analternative to the furrows 20, there may be narrowly cut out notchedareas 25 of the insole body edges adjacent to the flaps to aid in theupward positioning of the flaps. See FIG. 2.

The insole preferably has a first pair 23 and a second pair 24 of flaps.See e.g. FIGS. 1-3, 4, 5-9. The first pair of flaps 23 is positionedsubstantially near a metatarsal foot area 47, and the second pair offlaps 24 is positioned near the heel end 64 of the foot or between theheel area 64 and the arch 67 area of the foot 45. See e.g. FIG. 9. Theflaps can be of different lengths, widths and/or shapes, as well asthickness to accommodate differences in footwear and/or in thenarrowness of feet. Further, once the flaps are placed in the shoes,they can be cut, as needed, if they extend above the top edge of thefootwear opening 74 or if they create a fit that is too tight. The flapsare typically made so that they extend about 1 inch in length to about 4inches in length beyond the side edges of the insole body, and they aretypically about ⅛ inch to about ½ inches in width, or more. Of coursethe flaps can be made in other lengths and widths.

Moreover, additional or fewer flaps can be attached to the insole bodyto provide for further variations and fit characteristics.

The insole body is typically substantially planar, but also can conformto the shape of the underside of a foot. In an embodiment, the insolehas a heel area 65 that is at least partially concave 66 and/or has anarch area 68 that is at least partially raised 70. See e.g. FIGS. 5, 8A,9.

Depending upon the desired adjustment, the flaps can be of substantiallysame thickness as the insole body, but can be thicker or thinner ifnecessary, or desired.

By using the insole, the internal girth adjustment in the footwear is atleast about ⅛ inch to about ½ inch, and can be made so that the girthadjustment is ½ inch to 1 inch, and even 1-2 inches or more.

It may also be desired to make the insole so that the side edge marginsof the insole are contoured along their lengths.

A method of accommodating different foot widths in footwear is alsocontemplated that comprises providing an insole comprised of a bodyhaving a top side and a bottom side, and providing at least one pair offlaps that extend from the side edges 3 of the insole, see e.g. FIGS.1-3. The flaps are adapted to be upwardly positioned 29 againstsidewalls of footwear to a substantially vertical position 62 duringuse, see e.g. FIGS. 8, 8A, and 9. The insoles of this invention therebycause an internal girth 36 adjustment within the footwear and/or anadjustment in the width of the footwear, to accommodate different footwidths in footwear and the changes in size of a wearer's foot.

In this method, the flaps have a thickness of at least about 1/16 inchto about ½ inch or more in thickness such as to 1 inch or more, therebycausing an internal girth adjustment of at least about ⅛ inch to about ½inch and more, and even to 1-2 inches or more, depending upon thethickness of the flaps. During use, the flaps are positioned between awearer's foot and the sidewalls of the upper of the footwear anddecrease the space within the cavity of the upper. Further, in thismethod a furrow may be placed in each flap, wherein the furrow isadjacent to the side edges of the insole and aids in the positioning ofthe flaps within the footwear to a substantially vertical position, butfurrows are not necessary.

Also in an embodiment, a first pair and a second pair of flaps can beprovided with the first pair of flaps being located substantially near ametatarsal foot area 68, and the second pair of flaps being placed inthe foot area or between the heel area and the arch area of a wearer'sfoot 45. See e.g. FIG. 9. If the flaps are removably attachable, theycan be located elsewhere along the longitudinal axis of the insole body.Again, the flaps do not have to be paired and for example could have oneflap on one side of the insole, and a plurality of flaps on the oppositeside, but work better when paired.

The insole embodiments of FIGS. 1-9 can be placed in a variety offootwear, and since the insole need not be secured to the footwear, itcan be interchanged or added and removed as desired. For example, thefootwear may fit well with socks, but not without socks. The insole canbe placed inside the footwear when socks are not desired or needed.Also, because of the versatile adjustability due to the interchangingand adding of the flaps over its designed fitting range, it can afford asomewhat loose fit if so desired, as well as a quick, and non-permanentmeans of fit adjustment.

Also the invention can be used without changing the actual girth of theshoe. Typically if adjustments are needed, they are in the criticalfitting areas of the footwear including the mid-portions of the shoeknown as the ball, waist and instep portions.

The insole provides a means of adjustment that is substantiallyunobtrusive so as to not affect the appearance of the shoe.

The insole provides an adjustment means that is infinitely adjustableover a designed fit range.

The insole is easily adaptable for use in unlined shoes with the widestpossible choice of conventional sole and/or bottom materials.

The foregoing description is that of preferred embodiments of theinvention. It is intended that all matter contained in the abovedescription and shown in the accompanying drawings are illustrativerather than limiting. It should further be understood that the followingclaims are intended to cover all of the generic and specific features ofthe invention described herein. Various alterations and changes can bemade without departing from the spirit and broader aspects of theinvention as defined in the appended claims, which are to be interpretedin accordance with the principles of patent law including the doctrineof equivalents.

1. An insole for narrowing the internal girth in a cavity of an upper offootwear comprising: an insole body having a top side, a bottom side,and side edges; at least one pair of flaps, wherein the flaps areattached to the insole body and are positioned to extend beyond the sideedges of the insole, the flaps being adapted to be upwardly positionedagainst sidewalls of the upper when placed within the footwear; andwherein said flaps narrow the internal girth of the footwear bydecreasing space within the footwear upper.
 2. The insole of claim 1,having a body and/or flap comprised of multiple layers.
 3. The insole ofclaim 1, wherein the flaps are integral or removably attached to theinsole body.
 4. The insole of claim 1, wherein each flap has a furrowadjacent to the side edges of the insole body to facilitate positioningof the flaps to a substantially vertical position within the footwear.5. The insole of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the insoleand/or flaps are comprised of padding material.
 6. The insole of claim5, having a top layer comprised of cloth material, wherein the top layercovers the padding material.
 7. The insole of claim 1, furthercomprising a flap support member, wherein the support member is placedwithin the flap or upon the flap.
 8. The insole of claim 6, wherein thelayers are held together by heat bonding and/or stitching.
 9. The insoleof claim 1, having a first pair and a second pair of flaps.
 10. Theinsole of claim 9, wherein the first pair of flaps is positioned near ametatarsal area of a foot, and wherein the second pair of flaps ispositioned in a heel area of a foot or between a heel area and an archarea of a foot.
 11. The insole of claim 1, having a body that conformsto a shape of an underside of a wearer's foot and has a heel area thatis at least partially concave and/or an arch area that is at leastpartially raised.
 12. The insole of claim 1, wherein the pad and/orflaps have a thickness of at least 1/16 inch to at least about ½ inch.13. The insole of claim 12, wherein during use the flaps are positionedbetween a wearer's foot and the sidewalls of the upper.
 14. The insoleof claim 13, wherein the girth adjustment within the footwear is atleast ⅛ inch to 1 inch.
 15. The insole of claim 1, wherein a portion ofthe side edges of the insole body are contoured or cut in an areaadjacent to said flaps to facilitate upward positioning of the flaps.16. The insole of claim 1, further comprising attachment members on atleast a portion of the insole body and flaps, wherein the attachmentmembers are used to removably attach the flaps to the insole body. 17.An insole kit for narrowing the internal girth of a cavity of an upperof footwear comprising: an insole body having a top side, a bottom side,and side edges; at least one pair of flaps, wherein the flaps areremovably attachable to the insole body and extend beyond the side edgesof the insole body when attached to the body; attachment members on atleast portion of the insole body and flaps, wherein the attachmentmembers are used to removably attach the flaps to the insole body andform an insole, and wherein the flaps are adapted to be upwardlypositioned against sidewalls of the upper when placed within thefootwear; and wherein the flaps narrow the internal girth of thefootwear when placed within the footwear, by decreasing space within thefootwear upper.
 18. The kit of claim 17, comprised of a plurality ofinsole bodies and a plurality of flaps, wherein at least one insole thatcomprises a body and at least one pair of flaps is made from said kit.19. A method of narrowing the internal girth of a cavity of an upper offootwear comprising: providing an insole body having a top side, abottom side, and side edges; providing at least one pair of flaps;making an insole by removably or securably attaching the at least onepair of flaps to the insole body, wherein the flaps are positioned toextend beyond the side edges of the insole body; placing the insolewithin the cavity of the upper; and positioning each flap of the pair toa substantially vertical position, thereby causing an internal girthadjustment within the cavity of the upper.
 20. The method of claim 19,wherein the flaps have a thickness of at least 1/16 inch to ½ inch,thereby causing an internal girth adjustment of at least ⅛ inch to 1inch.
 21. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of placinga furrow in each flap, wherein the furrow is positioned adjacent to theside edges of the insole and facilitates the positioning of the flapswithin the footwear to a substantially vertical position.
 22. The methodof claim 19, further comprising the steps of: providing a first pair offlaps and a second pair of flaps; positioning the first pair of flapsnear a metatarsal area of a wearer's foot; and positioning the secondpair of flaps in an area between a heel and an arch area of a wearer'sfoot; and attaching the first pair of flaps and the second pair of flapsto the insole body prior to placing the insole in the footwear.
 23. Themethod of claim 22, wherein the insole is used in footwear that arewider in width that a wearer's foot and/or that has an upper stretchedfrom wear.
 24. The method of claim 22, wherein the insole is used infootwear for feet that change in size due to swelling or weight changes.25. The method of claim 19, wherein during use the flaps are positionedbetween a wearer's foot and sidewalls of the upper to decrease spacewithin the cavity of the upper.